Herman Cain has had a rough week. And it’s only halfway finished. But that’s no longer Ellen Carmichael’s problem.

The one-time Cain spokeswoman cut ties with the suddenly radioactive, would-be candidate last month, exonerating her from having to lose a single wink of sleep over smoking-man-/creepy-smile-/sexual-harassment-gate. She’s since traded the uncertainty of the campaign trail for the relative safety of a desk job, assuming communications duties for Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho).

Carmichael, who has previously lent her talents to everyone from freshman Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) to lobbying behemoth Americans for Tax Reform, suggested she’s got a soft spot for our nation’s capital.

“I am delighted to be back in Washington, D.C.,” she told HOH. “I love this city, and I’m overjoyed to make this my permanent home, instead of living out of a suitcase.”

Carmichael might, however, still be lugging around some emotional baggage. She shrugged off a query regarding whether she might pop by the Capitol Hill Club later today to catch up with the seemingly self-destructing Hermanator.